Chelsea is one step away from the main tournament of the Conference League. However, the London team of millionaires had a surprisingly tough time against Servette FC. Fiorentina still has work to do to survive the playoffs. Kevin Diks' FC Copenhagen did well.
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Chelsea, once the champions of Europe, now find themselves in a far different position, striving to secure a spot in the UEFA Conference League after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season.
The club's new manager, Enzo Maresca, faced the daunting task of turning around a team that had fallen short of expectations. In a bold move, Maresca made significant changes to the lineup, altering nine positions from the side that suffered a defeat against Manchester City. Only Moisés Caicedo and Christopher Nkunku, two of the team's standout players, retained their spots in the starting eleven. Despite the fresh faces, Chelsea struggled to find their rhythm.
In their match at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea faced Swiss side Servette FC, and the first half was far from convincing for the home team. Servette managed to hold Chelsea at bay, frustrating the London crowd and leading to a chorus of boos as the teams headed into the halftime break. The pressure was palpable, and Chelsea knew they needed to step up in the second half.
Early in the second half, Chelsea finally found a breakthrough. Christopher Nkunku, who had been one of the few bright spots in the team, won a penalty after being brought down by Servette's goalkeeper, Jeremy Frick. Nkunku calmly converted the penalty, giving Chelsea a much-needed lead and a collective sigh of relief from the fans. However, the tension was far from over. Frick, who had already been involved in the penalty incident, made another costly error. Under pressure from Chelsea's new signing, Marc Guiu, Frick fumbled, presenting Guiu with a golden opportunity. Unfortunately, the young striker, who had recently joined from Barcelona, failed to capitalize on the mistake, missing a clear chance to double the lead. It wasn’t until substitute Noni Madueke entered the pitch that Chelsea could breathe easier. Madueke managed to score, securing a 2-0 victory and giving Chelsea a crucial advantage as they continue their quest for Conference League qualification.
Meanwhile, in Italy, Fiorentina found themselves in a challenging situation as well. The team, which reached the Conference League final the previous season, could only manage a draw against Hungarian side Puskás Akadémia in their first-leg encounter. The match took place in Florence, and Fiorentina's struggles were evident from the start. The visitors took an unexpected lead, with FC Groningen-bound Laros Duarte’s future team showing no fear. David de Gea, making his debut for Fiorentina, faced an early test when Puskás Akadémia was awarded a penalty just nine minutes into the game. Zsolt Nagy stepped up and slotted the ball past the experienced Spanish goalkeeper, putting the Hungarian side in front. Things went from bad to worse for Fiorentina just minutes later. A mistake by young right-back Michael Kayode allowed Mikael Soisalo to capitalize, doubling Puskás Akadémia's lead and leaving the home fans stunned.
Despite the early setbacks, Fiorentina showed resilience. Missing their star player, Nicolas González, due to ongoing transfer negotiations, the team had to rely on others to step up. Riccardo Sottil provided a glimmer of hope just before halftime, reducing the deficit with a well-taken goal. In the second half, Fiorentina continued to push forward. Defender Lucas Martínez and forward Moise Kean turned the game around with goals of their own, putting Fiorentina in the lead. However, their hard work was undone in the closing moments of the match. Wojciech Golla, left unmarked, headed in a late equalizer for Puskás Akadémia, leaving Fiorentina with a disappointing draw and plenty of work to do in the return leg.
On a more positive note, FC Copenhagen took a significant step toward qualifying for the Conference League. The Danish side, featuring new signing Marcos López from Feyenoord, faced Kilmarnock in their first-leg match. Playing at home, Copenhagen dominated much of the game but found it difficult to break through the Scottish side’s defense. The breakthrough finally came late in the match when Kevin Diks, who has been linked with a move to Como and previously played for Feyenoord and Vitesse, converted a penalty to put Copenhagen in the lead. Rasmus Falk added a second goal in injury time, sealing a 2-0 victory. With a comfortable lead going into the second leg in Scotland, Copenhagen appears to be on the brink of securing their place in the main tournament of the Conference League.
Updated: 10:38, 23 Aug 2024
